Initiation
The day had been a whirlwind for the selected. From entering as a grand procession into heart of the capital to the massive sorting into their respective clans. For Aaron and Jason, the day had the added pressure of their meetings with the Magi of the Bastion. At last though the day was coming to an end and all the selected had now gathered at the base of the Tower to undergo the official Initiation as a Magi of Eledor. Each Clan now stood united in their uniforms awaiting the Archmage’s arrival.
Joy had been scanning the crowds in the hope of catching a glance of Jason, who she hadn’t seen since Teine had carted him away to the Bastion earlier in the day. She wasn’t even sure whether or not he would be here or what had come of him, but she continued to scan regardless.
Gliocas at long last approached the podium overlooking the gathering. “This Tower has stood for thousands of years as a symbol to the world of the power of Eledor. All of you gathered here today are now a part of this legacy. While each of you will find a different role in serving Eledor as Magi we are united by this symbol. The Clans assembled here represent all that is right and good in Eledor and from this day forward it will be your duty to represent your clan to the best of your ability. Enjoy tonight’s festivities as tomorrow your training will begin. Dismissed” As the Archmage finished his short address each of the Clans began to disperse into their individual sectors of the city to begin celebrating with their new alliances.
Jason had been properly fitted with the armor of an Earth Forger. His chest piece proudly displaying the sigil of Earth for all to see. Since his trial with the Bastion he had not been outside of arms reach from Rabhadh a measure for his own safety he was told. For the moment however, he could breathe a sigh of relief. Jason scanned the crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of his friends but there were far too many people gathered for him to have any luck. As the Earth Clan began their march to their sector Jason couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitement. He had made it, he was now a Magi of the Tower. Even if he was just an initiate.
“Whelp c’mere” bellowed Rabhadh. “S’time we spoke you and I.” After the day Jason had been having this was the last thing he wanted, he was hoping to simply celebrate as the rest. “We got off t’a rough start young’un but I gotta know why in the world ya wanna be an Earth Forger. We aint gonna coddle ya!”
Jason paused for a moment. He knew Rabhadh was right of course. The Earth Clan was well known for being extremely hard on its initiates. At first Jason had been almost too frightened to consider the concept of joining them opting for a softer clan like Light or Wind. But, as he thought of home and the times he felt most in his element it was always working the forge. Crafting and creating something from nothing had long been his greatest passion and now he would continue to pursue that passion as a Magi. “To be honest, I am from a family of smiths. For as long as I can remember I have been creating. If I the choice was mine I wanted to continue to create and craft as a Magi.”
Rabhadh just stared at him blankly at first, then in a booming explosion he burst out laughing. “M’boy I think you might just be the craziest young’un I have ever met, I like that.” The rest of the walk there was silence between them and upon their arrival in the Earth sector a night of revelry between the new Initiates and the rest of the clan.
~
As Aaron left the square he hobbled more then marched with his Clan. The beating from earlier had managed to take a greater toll then he realized, and he couldn’t wait to get to a bed and get some rest. Fire Clan however had other plans. As they arrived in the Fire Sector of Neart the Initiates were greeted by their seniors.
Iosgadh was sitting in a make shift throne above the Clan looking down from on high. “Greetings Initiates. I welcome you to Fire Clan. Rest assured your time here will not be time of games and revelry but a time of refining. Just as metal is purified by the flame so too will we refine you in the days and years to come.” The tone of celebration had now all but left the new Initiates. “In all the Clans Initiates are molded differently and here in Fire Clan we prefer to mold by action.”
As Iosgadh spoke Clan seniors started to bring out racks of padding and weapons. “In your time here, you may ascend the ranks of Fire Clan to roles of great responsibility and esteem. These roles are not awarded for time served but rather Firespinners are ranked by our strength. Some of you have already experienced growth by strength.” He glared directly at Aaron. “Within the Fire Clan there are 4 ranks, those of you standing here are currently Initiates. As you rise in the ranks you will progress from Initiate to Spark, from Spark to Flame, from Flame to Blaze. The final rank is the Bastion seat and to gain this rank you must take it from me by force. I have held this seat for the past 30 years unchallenged I invite any and all of you to strive to take it. To constantly be on guard and growing stronger is how the Fire Clan has been able to guard the capital for so long, so effectively.” The tone had gone from quiet to tense as Iosgadh continue to speak. The Initiates began to grow uneasy from the glares of their seniors. “Within each rank the Fire Clan appoints a head. This position like any other is held by strength. As Initiates none of you has yet had training in how to wield your skills as a Magi however a leader must be selected. We have provided for you tonight Magi weapons. These weapons have been crafted so that they will stun and not kill. Initiates will battle until only one stands. He or she will be your head initiate heading into to tomorrow. Good luck…. begin!”
At this the racks of weapon and armor were tipped to the ground and scattered across the square. Some Initiates froze in thought at what had just happened, others sprung immediately into action seizing a familiar weapon and preparing to battle for the title of Head Initiate. Aaron still nursing his wounds realized immediately that the only hope he had of surviving this was to rely on his wits rather than his muscle.
While the other initiates clamored into the pile of armaments Aaron faded into the crowds of his seniors. He watched from a distance as one after another the initiates fell. There were clearly some combatants all too familiar with the fray. A larger brute had managed to get his hands on a mighty war hammer and was clearing a massive pathway through the crowds in front of him. Off in another section a young woman with a rapier was adeptly dodging and weaving from one opponent striking them down with seemingly no effort. Perhaps the most impressive though was a young man no bigger than Aaron who had grabbed a simple round shield. This young man not only was agile enough to use the shield as a great protection, but he was impressively using the shield to concuss each foe to the face.
As time passed Aaron watched these 3 slowly eliminate the competition around them all the while evaluating their fighting styles and watching for gaps and weaknesses. It had become clear that the battle was taking its toll on the fighters as they grew more and more fatigued. At last the 3 were the last standing in the hall. Aaron continued to creep through the crowds until at lost he saw what he had been looking for…a long spear!
The 3 circled one another looking to catch their breath. None of them were too quick to make the first move and leave an opening. At last the Warhammer raised his attack high overhead in massive CRACK the hammer came pummeling down onto the Shieldbearer. The fatigue proved too much for the Shieldbearer and the blow forced him to his knees. No sooner had he touch the ground that he felt the sting of a rapier in his side. He fell to the ground defeated. Now the Rapier and Warhammer stood glaring at each other. The girl while exhausted had still managed to keep a coy smile plastered on her face. She taunted the Warhammer “That all you got big boy?”. The big oaf fell for it and rushed at her in an immense rage. For a behemoth he was surprisingly swift and managed to plow into the Rapier full force with his shoulder. The girl managed at the last moment to spin and escape some of the damage, but the force still forced her backwards falling into one of the piles of armor still on the ground. Disoriented the Warhammer wasted no time and again pushed the attack. Leaping airborne he now wielded the massive hammer more like a spear thrusting the weapon down onto the young woman. There was no hope. She was immediately knocked unconscious.
Aaron seeing the moment he had waited for wasted no time. As the massive hulk let down his guard thinking himself the victor Aaron crept from the crowd to the final opponent’s blind spot and with a single lunging strike felled the giant and knocked him unconscious to the ground. A massive explosion of fireworks exploded into the sky and a thunderous cheer exploded from the Fire Clan. The head initiate had been chosen.
Iosgadh rose from his seat and motioned for the throng to calm themselves. He began making swift hand gestures over the square and all those who had been defeated started to shake off their wounds. “The last 4 combatants step forward.” Aaron and the rest approached the throne. “Aodach, your strength was impressive, and you will be a powerful ally to those around you in battle. Your weakness was not in your massive strength but in your mind, you lack strategy and composure.” The hulking brute nodded in acknowledgement while glaring fiercely at Aaron. “Saighdear” Iosgadh continued “you were adept at defense but relied too heavily on facing the conflict head on. At times you must realize a retreat can be as strong as a defense as a direct confrontation.” The Shieldbearer nodded solemnly. “Eibhinn, your sword was swift and process, your tongue was loose and foolish. Be careful how you use all the weapons at your disposal. Challenging an opponent with your tongue may prove disastrous.” The young woman made no sign of awareness except a blush that immediately consumed her face in scarlet red. “Last but not least a late addition to our initiates, Aaron.” Aaron took a step forward from the rest. “You have neither the strength, cunning or bravery of these three.” Aaron’s proud stance immediately had some air taken out of it as he heard the crowd behind him chuckling. “However, here you stand the victor above the rest. A leader is often not just the one capable of making the final blow but knowing where and when to do so. Your ability to devise a strategy and know your own weaknesses is what gave you the victory this day. Approach the throne.” As Aaron ascended the stairs to Iosgadh he was unsure what came next. As he arrived at in front of the head of the Fire Clan he found an outstretched hand awaiting him. “Congratulations” Aaron reached out his hand and grasped the leader’s wrist. Immediately a searing pain could be felt on his arm and as Iosgadh pulled away the symbol of the Fire Clan had been singed into his forearm. “This mark you bear is a reminder that pain, and trial is what has put you hear. Never forget it.”
Iosgadh turned back to the entire clan. “The Initiation has come to end. Welcome Initiates your testing has only begun.”
As he spoke his last words he disappeared in a ball of flame into the Tower leaving the crowd to themselves. Aaron turned to face those he had just vanquished and saw many gazes of anger, jealousy and spite. It was only then he realized…this is going to be tougher then he imagined.
~
The laughter and happiness that emanated from the Windspeakers forum was a huge comfort to Joy. Joy loved the beautiful pantheon the Wind Clan had built for gatherings such as this. As Joy scanned the Clan she quickly came to realize something that had for one reason or another had escaped her, the Wind Clan did not have a single man in the masses. Maybe it’s that thoughts of Aaron and Jason had occupied so much of her day that she hadn’t realized the company she was in. As she surveyed the crowds of beautiful women adorned in the Windspeakers garb she yearned for a familiar face.
Her wandering thoughts were cut short however as Eòlas and another woman drifted to the floor of the pantheon. The woman with Eòlas had an air of authority and grace. She made Eòlas seem almost frail in comparison, no small feat. “Greetings Initiates. It is my most sincere pleasure to welcome you to the Wind Clan.” The crowds clapped and cheered. “This sisterhood has stood for centuries as the voice of wisdom among the clans and we continue to uphold this tradition through you today. I am Rionnag, the head of the Wind Clan. While the other Clans thrive on competition and ranking each in their own ways I am here to inform you that is not the case here. Regardless of your time here your ideas will be heard and considered. Always trust the wisdom of your sisters, never fear speaking truth.”
A shiver of pure excitement shot up Joy’s spine. A community devoted to sober thought and free speech.... ‘maybe this is why there are no men in the Clan’ she mused to herself and chuckled.
“For this evening rest and relax. Enjoy the new friendships that lay ahead of you. Together we will continue to work for the good of Eledor with wisdom and patience.”
As soon as she had appeared she was gone. She shot off like an arrow towards the Tower and was soon out of sight. Eòlas now took the lead. “Before you depart” she said, “are there any questions?” Rumblings began amongst the ladies. For the most part the Initiates seemed to be having the same problem as Joy. They had so many questions they weren’t sure where to start. Suddenly, an elegant sounding voice echoed from the upper rows of the pantheon. “If I may ask miss, where are the male counterparts of the Clan” Sounds of affirmation and nodding rippled through the crowds.
Eòlas waited for the clamor to calm “Currently in the Wind Clan there are no male counterparts. There has not been a male Windspeaker for over 300 years. We do not make the choice of how the elements align themselves, but the Wind element tends to be one of grace and wisdom and for one reason or another the male Magi attune more towards the other Clans of the Tower.” More murmuring and some giggles. “We are however not opposed to male Windspeakers and should the opportunity for one to join our ranks arise we would welcome him just as we welcome any of you here today. Your days will not be void of men as your classes at the Academy will have you join the other Clans when appropriate.” This brought Joy some relief. Hopefully she would cross paths with Aaron and find out if he knew what had become of Jason. Eòlas continued “For now as there seems to be no other questions that require an immediate answer I would encourage you all to get some rest. Your classes at the Academy will begin tomorrow and you must be prepared to show your very best. ‘Tomorrow’ Joy thought to herself, ‘Tomorrow I will get some answers.’ And with that the crowd dispersed and Joy headed to the dorms.